In
the late 1850's there was active military in Bellingham and on the Puget Sound.
Potential military conflict was aggravated by the dispute between the US and
the British over the San Juan Islands. Locally, Captain George Pickett and his
Infantry slashed a road along the shoreline to Squalicum Creek. After bridging
the creek the trail went uphill onto present day F Street and along the bluff
crossing Whatcom Creek about one block north of present day Dupont Street. A
wooden bridge, called Military Bridge, was built in 1858 to cross Whatcom Creek.
A plaque on the East Side of the present reinforced concrete bridge commemorates
the first wooden version as Old Pickett Bridge. From the bridge the road went
past the present city center and turned south at the corner of State and Holly
Street.

Nationally,
in March of 1857 a Congressional Act was passed to build a Military Road from
Fort Steilacoom, south of Tacoma, to Bellingham Bay. The purpose of the road
was for the movement of troops and supplies in case of Indian raids. The path
of the road was filled with such dense vegetation that pack animals could not
be used in the construction. By 1859 the construction contracts were given out
and the trail was started.

The
Army's head topographical engineer, Colonel J.J. Albert, said in 1859 that the
building of the Military Road was a "necessity," and went on to say "its completion
would also induce settlement along the shore of Puget Sound." For those purposes,
$50,000 was asked for in 1860 to improve Military Road in addition to the original
cost estimate of $42,500.

Even
with the additional funds, Military Road remained incomplete. Ultimately, Whatcom
County took control of Military Road, maintaining it for several years. Although
the majority of the road's travelers were on foot, there were occasional horses
and even wagons. This makes Military Road the first wagon passable road in the
Northwest.